The Westhill High School football team will battle city rival Stamford High in its annual grid get-together Thanksgiving morning at 10 a.m. at Boyle Stadium.

Westhill (1-8) was on its way to the best football season in Vikings' history since 1986 when it was forced to forfeit four victories on Monday due to the use of an ineligible player.

Stamford High, after two glorious seasons, has hit the skids in 2012. After posting opening victories over Harding (26-8) and Norwalk (48-7), the Black Knights (2-7) have suffered seven consecutive losses.

So Thursday appears to be a day where Westhill earns some bragging rights in the city of Stamford and has a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner.

"I've seen Westhill in person four times this season," said Stamford High third-year head coach Bryan Hocter. "I'm so impressed. Those kids never quit. They play with so much enthusiasm. Their offensive line is very physical. It's a tribute to Frank."

His first season as Westhill football head coach had been a dream for Frank Marcucio until Monday's forfeits.

The Vikings' summer conditioning work with trainers from BlueStreak Sports -- which continued throughout the regular season paid dividends. The aggressive, in-school recruiting by the Westhill coaching staff brought the overall roster to around 60 players and established a foundation for the present and the future.

But instead of a historic sixth triumph of 2012, Westhill will be playing Thursday to keep its newfound pride intact.

"The support from the student body has been tremendous," Marcucio said. "We have become a very resilient team. Coming from behind to beat Danbury showed how we could overcome adversity within a game and still win."

All eyes Thursday will be on Westhill senior running back/receiver/kick returner Davell Cotterell.

"To me, Cotterell could be the best running back in the FCIAC," Hocter said. "He has great speed. A great burst of energy. And a great first step. If he played for me, I'd give him the ball 30-to-40 times a game."

Stamford will have a tough time against a Westhill defense that posted two shutouts this season.

The main question is just how much Stamford High has left in its tank. The Black Knights' seven-game losing streak includes losses to Trinity Catholic (41-20), Norwich Free Academy (51-0) and New Canaan (35-0).

"We won our last six games last season. And won our first two contests this season. Eight straight wins is hard to do," Hocter said. "But these seven straight losses. That's humbling. I've been part of Stamford High football the last 11 years. This is the most difficult season I've ever been through. It's been tough on our whole coaching staff."

Stamford High began the campaign with a short roster of about 45 players. Injuries have decimated both the offensive and defensive lines as many Knights are two-platoon players.

"Injuries have taken a toll. Injuries have mushroomed out of control the last four weeks," Hocter said. "I counted eight starters out in last week's (47-26) loss to McMahon. That's like losing 15 kids because they play both offense and defense.

"I thought Westhill played better than their record when they were 5-4," Hocter continued. "You could see in the summer all the work their coaching staff was putting in. For us, it's the last game for our seniors. And you hope our young kids play well to give them incentive for next year."

NOTE: The Stamford High School Athletic Council is hosting a Food Drive to support the Glenbrook-based Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. A food donation of non-perishables like canned tuna, breakfast cereals, juices, peanut butter, grape jelly and coffee at the gate slices $1 off a fan's ticket.